Through the Years
by ElleHarper47
Summary: A series of one-shots featuring Klaus and Caroline's interactions over the centuries. From cities around the world and back home to Mystic Falls and New Orleans, Klaus and Caroline continue to come together. Sometimes the reunion is sweet, or a gesture alone is enough. And sometimes betrayal and disappointment come too easily. 100% Klaus and Caroline. Slightly A/U.
1. Chapter 1 - City of Lights

**A/N: Hello! and thank you for checking our my latest effort. This isn't the Caroline/Klaus story I originally promised (still in the works) in my profile, but I wanted (need) to get re-inspired before I start working on my full-length stories.**

 **This is a collection of ten one-shots, all Klaus/Caroline. I have all ten chapters done, so posting will be on a regular basis. However - I'm not 100% happy with 1-2 of them, so if you feel the urge, go ahead and drop me a line with a prompt. I can't promise to use it, but if I like it, and it fits in with the overall theme, I'll try!**

 **A huge THANK YOU to Principles of Magic (Irene) for taking the time to beta. One of my favorite parts of the writing process is the feedback and brainstorming we do! Any mistakes remain my own.**

 **As always, I look forward to your reviews, comments, PMs, favorites and follows!**

 _2035, Paris, France_

As he walks through the lobby of the Palais Garnier, he ignores the flirtatious looks thrown his way from the ladies - and a few men. He's well aware he cuts a dashing figure in his haute couture tuxedo, but he prefers to be alone tonight.

Approaching the grand staircase, an older woman standing alone and admiring the venue catches his eye. She's familiar to him and he slows his pace to study her. After over a thousand years on this earth, it takes him a moment to roll through the index in his mind.

His memory doesn't fail, and a smile breaks out onto his face. In an instant, he changes his mind about being alone this evening and strides towards her. She becomes aware of his approach, and he can't fail to hear her heart accelerate with nervousness.

He's sorry for it.

"Sheriff Forbes," he said pleasantly, hoping to put her at ease.

"Klaus," she replied warily.

"What brings you to Paris?"

"Caroline -"

He smiled broadly, and his own heart accelerates as Caroline's voice rings out from behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Caroline," he said.

His eyes lit up as he laid eyes on her. He was ridiculously pleased to see that she looked exactly as she had when he last saw her twenty years ago. He wasn't sure why that pleased him, or surprised him - she was a vampire, after all.

Her golden hair was loose and in waves and her strapless emerald green dress fit her like a second skin, flaring out just a bit at her ankles.

"Are you okay," Caroline asked her mother as she took a protective stance near her.

"I'm fine - he just arrived."

Caroline turned her attention to him, her arms crossed. "What do you want, Klaus?"

"Caroline, I assure you, I have no sinister motives," he said, exasperated by her suspicion. "I'm in town because a painting of mine has been discovered and it's going on exhibition tomorrow at the Rodin. I'm here, tonight, because they just happen to be performing my favorite opera. Now, what brings you two lovelies to Paris?"

"We're traveling - I've recently retired and a tour of Europe is Caroline's gift to me," Liz said.

"Retirement? The streets of Mystic Falls must be positively running amok. Are you certain they can survive without you?" Klaus asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"They'll have to," Caroline replied. "It's time for her to have a little fun," she said, smiling fondly at her mother.

"Well, then - as I'm all by my lonesome tonight, I insist you ladies join me in my box."

"Oh, no -" Caroline started to decline.

"I insist," he said, snatching her ticket and glancing at it. "Hardly a suitable place to enjoy the performance; you couldn't compel yourself better seats? No matter, come along," he said, and offered Caroline and Liz his arms.

The Forbes women shared a look, and in resignation, each took a proffered arm. As they made their way to his private box, Klaus launched into little-known anecdotes about the history of the opera house.

Once settled into their seats, Caroline cast an apologetic look to her mother. Liz waved off her daughter's concern and enjoyed the view from the best seats in the house.

Caroline looked around, impressed with the view. She tried taking it all in; from the artwork on the ceiling to the crystal chandelier, but it was too much. Then she frowned as she noticed something else.

"Everyone's staring at us."

Klaus glanced around quickly and saw that she was correct. Supernatural and human alike were looking towards their box.

"They are staring at you - you are an absolute vision and I apologize for not stating so earlier," he murmured.

"It's creepy," she muttered, blushing.

"Right - I'll kill them all," he said.

"What - no!" she gasped, then smiled and gave a small chuckle as she realized he was only teasing her. "Jerk," she muttered half-heartedly.

"So, Klaus - how's your family?" Liz asked, striving to make conversation.

"Annoying and self-righteous as usual," Klaus replied. "They hate this particular opera and declined to attend."

The lights dimmed and the curtain swung open as the orchestra began to play.

Klaus had seen the performance a dozen times - he had indeed been in the audience when it first debuted in Vienna back in 1603. Although it was his favorite and he appreciated seeing the various interpretations over the years, he sat back and watched Caroline instead, taking joy in her reactions.

When the curtain closed for intermission, Caroline turned to Klaus, smiling radiantly with tears brimming. "It's beautiful."

"It is indeed," he replied, staring into her eyes. He handed her his handkerchief and she dabbed her eyes with it. When she tried to return it, he waved her off.

"Keep it - there's more of that to come."

"Oh, no - but it has a happy ending, right?"

He grinned. "Of course - the hero always gets the girl. Well, except for Stefan, I'm not sure what happened there -" he broke off as Caroline giggled.

She slapped a hand over her mouth. "I shouldn't laugh; Stefan's my friend."

He smiled, but said nothing and turned his attention to Liz. "Sheriff, are you thirsty?" he asked as a waiter came in with champagne.

After intermission, the lights dimmed again and the curtain rose.

Caroline felt herself being swept away once more by the story. A part of her remained continuously aware that she was sitting next to Klaus - the mighty Original Hybrid - in an opera house in Paris, with her mother - but he's been on his best behavior tonight and she has to admit that she's enjoyed her evening.

As the curtain lowers and the applause rings out, Caroline is overwhelmed with emotion - she loved it.

They make their way towards the exit.

"How will you be returning to your hotel?"

"Oh - we were just going to hop in cab," Caroline said.

"Absolutely not. I have a car waiting - I'll see you home."

The car turned out to be a limo. Klaus faced Caroline and Liz and watched Caroline's face as she stared out the window, taking in the city of lights. He realized that he was staring, and he glanced away, only to meet Liz's gaze instead, who was staring at him thoughtfully.

 _How do mothers do that - look at you as if they know your deepest darkest secrets?_

The limo pulled up to the hotel and a doorman opened the limo door. Once inside the hotel lobby, Caroline turned to Klaus. Before she could say anything however, her mother spoke.

"Klaus, thank you so much. I had a great time and it was much more enjoyable up in your box."

"You're quite welcome, Sheriff. Congratulations again on your retirement."

"And now, I am for bed," she smiled as she walked away.

Caroline found herself alone with Klaus and wondered why she was suddenly feeling awkward.

"Well - um - good night. Thanks for -"

"Caroline," Klaus interrupted. "My exhibition opens tomorrow. Would you - and your mother, of course - like to accompany me?"

"Oh - Klaus, I'm sorry, but we're leaving tomorrow. Wine country. Although my mom would prefer beer on tap at the Grille," she joked.

Klaus shrugged nonchalantly and tried to hide the disappointment coursing through him.

"Another time, then."

"I'm really sorry," she said softly.

He reached up to brush a loose tendril of her hair from her face. Caroline stood frozen as his fingers lightly brushed across her face.

She was gazing at him with those big blue eyes of hers and he couldn't resist. He leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to her. When he broke off the brief kiss, he watched with hooded eyes as she caught her breath.

"Goodnight, Caroline."

"Goodnight," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2 - Come Back to Me

2062, Mystic Falls, Virginia

Her heart was breaking and she was drowning in her grief. Elizabeth Forbes was dead. Her mother was the one person she could always depend on to love her and protect her, no matter what.

Liz Forbes was the one who raised her, who taught her right from wrong - her mother would never hug her again; Caroline would never again roll her eyes when her mother teased her about her obsessive ways. She would never again hear her mother's laugh, or her voice.

 _I love you, Caroline._

 _Natural causes_ , the doctor had said. _She died peacefully in her sleep_ , he assured her.

Caroline barely heard him; her grief was insurmountable and deafening.

She couldn't attend the funeral. She knew that - she knew that she couldn't attend her own mother's funeral since over forty years had passed and she still looked seventeen.

So while her aging friends - Matt, Tyler, Alaric, Jo, Bonnie and Jeremy stayed by her mom's side at the church, Caroline waited with her vampire brethren: Stefan, Damon, Enzo and Elena at the cemetery. The burial would be private, no one else from town would be there.

She stood alone, hugging herself, and stared unseeingly in the hole that had been prepared. Her friends glanced at her anxiously from time to time, but Caroline ignored them.

You were born, then you died, then you got shoved in a box and thrown in the ground.

Her mother deserved better.

...

That evening, Caroline's friends were gathered at her mother's house. One by one, they made their excuses and left her. Finally, only Stefan and Elena remained.

"I'm fine," Caroline said. "I'll be fine - I just want to go to sleep," she pleaded.

"You shouldn't be alone, Care," Elena said.

"Then stay - but I'm going to bed," Caroline shrugged and walked away.

Stefan and Elena looked at one another.

"She hasn't cried," Elena said worryingly.

"She will," Stefan replied. "Go home, Elena. I'll stay here; I can sleep on the couch. I don' t want to leave her alone in case she wakes up in the middle of the night."

"Are you sure?" Elena hesitated. "I can stay -"

Stefan shook his head. "No need for both of us to stay. Go on, head home."

She gave him a wan smile and nodded. "Okay - call me if -"

"I will."

...

A small whisper of sound reached into Stefan's consciousness and he awoke with a start.

"Caroline?" he muttered.

He sharpened his hearing and heard her sobbing in her in her bedroom. He started to get up and then froze as he heard another voice.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Stefan sped to her bedroom and came to a halt in the doorway. Klaus was on her bed, holding a weeping Caroline, who had finally let herself cry and looked as if she would never stop.

Klaus met Stefan's eyes and understanding passed between them.

As Stefan turned to leave, Klaus refocused his attention on Caroline. She clung tightly to him, as if she was terrified he would also leave her. He held her tighter as she continued to sob.

His heart ached for her - and for himself. _What must it be like to mourn a parent who loved you?_ There were no real words of comfort he could offer her; only meaningless platitudes.

She began to whimper and Klaus hurried to soothe her. "Sweetheart, it's alright. Let it out."

"She's gone - I want her back, Klaus, bring her back, please, bring her back," she pleaded.

"You know I would, sweetheart, I would do so in a heartbeat, with no hesitation. Shh," he said softly, recognizing the simple truth: he would gladly exchange his life for the Sheriff's if it meant Caroline would be happy once more.

"Please - it hurts, it hurts so much - bring her back - I can't - Klaus, I can't -"

"I know, sweetheart - you will get through this, darling," he whispered and held her tightly against him.

...

Caroline slowly opened her eyes as the morning dawns. For a moment, she forgets.

For a moment, she only feels loved and safe, wrapped in strong arms; a warm body spooning her from behind.

For a moment, all is normal.

But too soon, she remembers.

Her mother is dead.

Her funeral was yesterday.

She cried for hours in Klaus' arms - the same arms holding her now.

She turned to face him and saw that he was already awake, watching her. Her grief consumed her once more and tears sprung to her eyes.

There were no words of comfort he could offer her. He did the only thing he knew to do, and gathered her in his arms once more and let her cry.

...

In the year since her mother passed, the pain of her death has lessened, but still grabs hold from time to time. Caroline kneeled down onto the grass before her mother's tombstone.

"Hi, mom," she said. "Happy death-day. Although there's really nothing happy about it unless you're a vampire."

She sighed and began to aimlessly clear away a few determined weeds that had managed to work their way through the meticulously cared for area.

She doesn't keep track of time as she sits there. She relives memories, good and bad, of times shared with her mother. Strange how Caroline's death brought them closer together before her mom's death tore them apart.

The grief she feels is still there - raw and open across her heart. She no longer sobs uncontrollably, but her tears still fall.

...

She returned to Bonnie and Jeremy's house, where she was staying while she was in town. Bonnie was in the front yard, tending to her roses.

"Hi," she said as Caroline approached. "How was it?"

"Hey," Caroline said, offering a small smile. "Good - fine. Thanks for taking such good care of her."

Bonnie hugged Caroline. When they broke apart, Bonnie stared hard at Caroline.

"I'm fine," Caroline said, moving away and heading towards the porch.

"What's this?" she asked, noticing a package laying on the porch steps.

"You tell me - has your name on it. New Orleans," Bonnie said significantly.

Caroline frowned. She wasn't expecting a package from him - or anyone in New Orleans. She held the box carefully.

"Whatever it is, it's not harmful," Bonnie confirmed.

She opened the box and inside lies another box - this one white, with a black ribbon. A small card is attached.

 _I'm sorry I can't be there to give this to you in person._  
 _I hope you like it._  
 _Klaus_

For a moment, her anger flares and outweighs her grief. She doesn't need diamonds or rubies to feel better. Does he really think that a meaningless piece of jewelry is enough to stem her grief?

She untied the ribbon with a slow hand and lifts the lid the box. For a moment, she is confused.

She was expecting to be blinded by sparkling jewels - only she's not.

This time, a necklace lies in the box. A simple gold chain, with a gold locket attached. The locket is a perfect circle, engraved with roses. She swallowed hard, already knowing what she would find inside.

She opened the locket.

Her tears fall as she stares at her mother's miniature portrait - he captured her mother as he had first seen her, back when she was still young, before her blond hair turned grey, before too many wrinkles appeared.

Caroline smiled through her tears. He had managed to find a way to give her back her mother after all.


	3. Chapter 3 - Crash Landing

_2073, Flight 1077 London to New York_

She stared out of the window from her first class seat.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise."

Caroline whipped her head around in shock. "Klaus? What are you -"

He smiled broadly as he tossed his bag into the overhead compartment and sat down next to her. "Heading home actually. And you? Where are you off to - what's wrong?" he asked, frowning slightly as he noticed evidence of recent tears.

For a moment she is unable to say the words.

"Bonnie's dying."

Klaus sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

She nodded. "Thanks. They - they're all dying. All my classmates, my friends. They're all dying."

"I know."

"Does it get easier?"

"You could stop making friends, but - I don't really recommend that route," he said and gave her a small smile.

She gave a tiny smile as fresh tears threatened.

"Come on," he said, and draped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Rest, love. We'll be there in a few hours and you can say your goodbyes." He kissed her forehead.

He smiled softly as he felt her relax against him and lean her head on his shoulder.

Two hours later, Caroline woke up groggily and began to stretch.

"Something to drink?" Klaus asked her.

She nodded sleepily and Klaus signaled the stewardess. At that moment,the plane hit a patch of rough turbulence and moments later the the pilot made an announcement.

"Folks, looks like we're heading right into a storm - we're going to be experiencing some turbulence for a bit, so we're going to ask that you return to your seats and buckle up. We're going to see if we can get above this storm -"

The announcement cut off abruptly as the plane hit another rough patch of air. Caroline was lifted off of her seat - her seatbelt held her in. She automatically reached for Klaus' hand.

Klaus listened to the pilot's frantic voices coming from the cockpit. _This isn't going to end well_ , Klaus thought. He leaned over to whisper to Caroline.

"Sweetheart, do you know what to do if this plane goes down?"

"What? What are you - that's not funny, Klaus -"

"Caroline, listen to me. If this plane goes down, you can survive if you know what to do."

When she continued to stare at him blankly, he inwardly sighed. "Right - crash landing survival for vampires - 101 -"

An engine exploded and shrapnel pierced the hull of the plane. As the plane begins to lose altitude, the oxygen masks deploy. The cabin lights flickered, then failed, pitching them into darkness.

Klaus doesn't bother to give instructions to her; she'll never be able to hear him, even with her vampire hearing, above the screaming passengers.

"Klaus!"

"It's alright, love, we'll be fine - Caroline, I will see you through this," he said calmly, responding to the stark terror on her face.

What seems like hours, but is only minutes, pass. The sky twinkled with a million stars as the moonlight bounced off the water. The ocean was calm in stark contrast to the calamity that had just befallen.

Klaus sighed. He was holding a passed out Caroline in his arms while treading water and watched from a distance as the remains of Flight 1077 began a slow descent to her watery grave.

 _Not quite the romantic evening I'd envisioned_ , he thought while staring at the stars above, holding his love in the moonlight and listening to the symphony of screams from those still trapped inside the doomed plane.


	4. Chapter 4 - Let's Have Some Fun

_2162, Transylvania_

Dust fell from the ceiling crevices of the old castle as brother and sister faced off.

"Rebekah Mikaelson, if you do not calm down this instant, I will personally rip your heart out," Elijah roared.

"Calm down?" she shrieked. " _Calm down_?! I specifically - _specifically_ , Elijah - told the florists that I wanted _cerulean_ lillies for my bouquet - look at these, Elijah - _look at them_!" she screamed, shaking the now-mangled bouquet in his face.

"Are these cerulean?! Well - _are they_?! I told them, Elijah!" she wailed. "My wedding is tomorrow and it's ruined!"

She sped off, leaving the destroyed bouquet at Elijah's feet. Moments later, her bedroom door slammed and no one needed vampire hearing to hear her loud sobs.

Elijah turned wordlessly to face his brothers who had remained silent during their sister's most recent bridezilla moment.

"Daggering her and and killing him doesn't seem like such a bad idea now, does it?" Klaus remarked, taking a sip of his brandy.

"Even I have to admit that daggering might have been the better way to go," Kol said.

"At least tell me the guests have begun to arrive and are getting settled into their rooms comfortably?" Elijah pleaded.

...

"You're telling me Rebekah Mikaelson's dream wedding takes place in Dracula's castle?" Damon asked.

"This is actually Hunyadi Castle. Apparently her family took possession of it back in the late 1500s," Stefan responded.

The Salvatore brothers, along with Caroline and Elena, stood in the castle courtyard while their luggage was unloaded from the car.

"Why are we here, again?" Elena asked.

"Technically, we did go to school with her - she wants to gloat," Caroline said, grinning.

"Well, at least I don't see any elephants," Damon smirked.

Elena and Stefan burst into laughter.

"I don't get it -" Caroline said, looking at them strangely.

Stefan stopped laughing long enough to try to explain. "Ah, man, we were in Singapore, and there was this wedding with elephants -"

"Oh my god, Care - the smell - it was awful," Elena interrupted, still giggling.

"Made worse when they started -" Damon started.

"Got it," Caroline said, smiling stiffly. "Sorry I missed it."

"Caroline!" Klaus came striding into the courtyard. "Hello - Stefan, Damon. Doppelganger," he finished, with barely veiled disdain.

"Hello, to you too," Elena said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, Klaus," Caroline said. "Wow - some castle."

"Do you like it?" he asked eagerly.

"Well, it's - it's big."

"Come along, I'll show you to your room," Klaus said, taking her arm and leading her away.

"I guess we'll just find our own way," Stefan muttered dryly as Klaus and Caroline disappeared into the castle.

...

After eleven hundred years - give or take - Rebekah Mikaelson was married. Her cerulean bouquet lay forgotten on the dining table as she danced the night away in the arms of her groom.

The party was now in full swing. Damon and Elena were lost in each other's eyes; while Stefan and Elijah were in some sort of drinking competition with a pack of wolves. Kol was flirting outrageously with a pair of witches - twins.

Caroline wasn't sure where Klaus went. The last time she saw him, he was holding court with a small crowd of admirers while she danced with a wolf from Saudi Arabia.

She wandered outside, onto the castle balcony and stood in the cool night air.

"Having fun?"

She smiled as Klaus approached.

"It's not the worst party I've been to," she lightly teased. "Rebekah's happy - and Royce seems really nice."

"My sister is always happy when she's in love," Klaus said, rolling his eyes. "And what the bloody hell kind of name is 'Royce'?"

Caroline laughed. "You don't like him?"

Klaus shrugged. "I don't dislike him."

"But?" Caroline prompted.

"He's not the one for Rebekah," Klaus said. "I give it 6 weeks, tops," he whispered.

"Klaus, that's horrible, she's your sister -"

"Caroline," he interrupted. "I'm standing alone with you, on a castle balcony under the stars - I do not want to talk about my sister - or any of my family members. Tell me about you- how have you been?"

"I'm fine - great. Traveling," she said, smiling brightly.

He stood silently for a moment, taking her in.

"What's wrong, love?"

She tilted her head and considered him. "How do you do that? How do you just look at me and - know?"

 _Because I know you._

 _Because I'm lonely too._

 _Because I love you_.

He simply smiled and waited.

She sighed. "I'm a hundred and fifty years old," she confessed.

"I know," he said softly. "But you don't look a day over eighteen," he quipped.

" _Seventeen_ ," she shot back.

He threw back his head and laughed.

She smiled briefly before continuing. "And -" she shrugged. "I'm alone. Bonnie, Tyler, Matt - all my friends, people I grew up with - they're all dead now. Their great grandchildren are running Mystic Falls now."

"Mm-hm."

"You're lucky, you know? You have your family - you'll always have them."

He rolled his eyes, thinking back over the past year filled with Rebekah's wedding tirades.

"It's true," she said softly.

"I know," he said sincerely. "But you still have Stefan - and Elena and Damon."

"It's not the same," she confessed. "Those three stick together no matter what. They have their inside jokes and stories that always end with, 'you had to be there.'"

"No room for Caroline?" Klaus asked.

"That's not it - they wouldn't mind at all if I joined them. But there's always so much - _drama_ that surrounds Elena."

"Curse of the doppelganger."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, Stefan comes to visit sometimes, and I have friends -"

"But it's not the same as family - or friends you've grown up with," Klaus finished for her.

She nodded.

"God, it seems so stupid to complain, especially tonight - let's do something fun," she said impulsively.

"Fun?"

"Yes, fun - surely you remember how to have fun, old man," she teased.

"Only one place I know of where to have a bit of fun in Transylvania," he mused. "Alright, let's go."

...

"Where are we?" Caroline whispered.

"No need to whisper, love," Klaus said. "We are in a small forest that offers midnight ghost tours."

"You're taking me on a ghost tour? You just think I'm going to get scared and cling to you," Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart. We are not here to be scared," he smiled devilishly.

"What -"

"We're here to do the scaring," he said, letting his eyes glow yellow for just a moment. "Come on."

He led her on a well-worn path, avoiding the current batch of tourists being led through as well as the actors portraying the murderous monsters of legends.

"What's she supposed to be?" Caroline asked disdainfully, noticing a young woman, wearing a dress with an artfully ripped bodice, her brunette hair in careful carefully disarray, and fake blood from her mouth.

"Ah - one of Dracula's many brides, I suppose."

"Hmph."

"Over here - we can wait here for the next group to come though."

"Are you sure we should do this," Caroline asked anxiously. "This isn't really my idea of fun."

"You're idea of fun involves color-coding and bossing people around," Klaus dismissed. "Caroline, they want to be scared - they paid money to be scared."

"Well -"

"We're doing them a favor and they'll have a wonderful story to tell their friends back home," he said convincingly. "They should be paying us."

She looked at him doubtfully. "We're just scaring them, right? We're not going to actually hurt them?"

Klaus looked scandalized. "Of course not, sweetheart. We're just going to scare them."

"Okay," she grinned. "What do I do?"

"Hmm - I think you'd better be the victim - the beautiful damsel in distress," Klaus said, eyeing her thoughtfully. "You distract them from the real danger - me."

"What - why do I always have to be the distraction," she complained.

"Because you're so good at it," he said. "Now, we need a bit of blood on you to make it convincing - you're sure you can do this?"

"I was a drama major," Caroline said proudly.

"Uh-huh. From Whitmore," Klaus muttered to himself.

Half an hour later, Caroline grinned shamelessly as a batch of tourists ran screaming from her. _Klaus was right - this is fun_! she thought and chuckled lightly.

She walked back to rejoin Klaus, who was waiting for her. His back was to her and - _why do I smell blood_?

"Klaus! You promised!"

Klaus lifted his head guiltily from the young woman's neck and turned to face Caroline sheepishly. Caroline recognized the girl as one of the actors playing Dracula's bride.

"What? She's fine," he said.

"You said we weren't going to hurt them!"

"She's not hurt - ask her. Sweetheart, are you in pain?"

"No," she said dazed. "I mean, I should be, but there's no pain."

"There, see - she's fine. And I was feeling a bit peckish."

Caroline stomped off.

"Caroline - Caroline! I thought we were having fun," he said to himself.


	5. Chapter 5 - A Drowning City

_2203, New Orleans, Louisiana_

"Bloody witches! Old, young, dead, alive - a pain in my ass - every time!" Klaus snarled as he surveyed the damage from the deck of the sailing boat.

Two days ago, a fierce hurricane had roared through the Gulf of Mexico, devastating the coastline, especially New Orleans. A combination of Mother Nature, climate change, outdated levies and pissed off witches had finally defeated the once vibrant city. New Orleans was on her knees and the survivors could only watch as she drowned.

When it had become clear that the city would fall, Klaus and his siblings, along with Marcel, and a few motivated others, had made their way to high ground and commandeered a small sailing boat, christened, S.S. Lucky Catch.

Klaus and his companions stood silently as they left the devastation behind. The Original Hybrid stood apart from the others, seething with rage. A city that he had practically built with his own hands; that had withstood hurricanes, wars, economic hardships, change, _Mikael_ \- gone because a few rogue witches no longer wanted to play by his rules. Rules that had, for the most part, made the city prosperous again, with equal stakes for all the Factions.

And now, not only were those witches dead, but the city they claimed to love was gasping her last breath as well. The witches had managed to trigger a fail-safe in the event of their death: if they couldn't have New Orleans, then no one could.

Marcel stood stiffly, his arms crossed as he watched the only home he'd ever known crumble.

"We left them," he said in disbelief.

"We had no choice; they had no daylight rings," Elijah calmly reminded him.

"They were my guys - our guys - I promised them -" Marcel said brokenly, and silently began to weep as his guilt overcame him.

Rebekah laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was nothing she could say that would ease his burden.

She glanced warily towards her brother Klaus. Although his back was to her, she could see all too clearly the signs of rage simmering under the surface. Her gaze flickered quickly to her eldest brother, Elijah, and she breathed a little easier. Elijah's own sense of loss was keen, but as always, his responsibility towards his brother was still there. He was allowing Klaus his space, but in position to move quickly should Klaus lose control.

"What are we going to do?" one the witches asked. "We practice ancestral magic! How are we supposed to -"

"You don't," Rebekah said harshly, grabbing onto the railing as the boat bumped against something. "Watch it!"

"Sorry! It's really hard to steer through here," Josh muttered as he navigated the boat through the harbor cluttered with debris.

As they sailed away from the ravages, the survivors stood by the railing and watched as their beloved city died a miserable death. New Orleans had finally fallen, and they knew in their hearts she would never rise to glory again.

...

Night had fallen when the Lucky Catch made her way into the harbor of Corpus Christie, Texas. The floodlights bathed the harbor in light. Other refugees made their way before them and the docks were crawling with Red Cross volunteers.

Klaus scanned the crowd and noticed a familiar blond wearing a Red Cross volunteer t-shirt. As she passed one of the beacons, her entire features lit up - she looked like an angel, filled with light, and he couldn't help but smile at the imagery.

"Klaus! Thank God," Caroline said, hurrying towards him and drawing him into a quick hug. "I - I was worried."

"You were? I mean - you're here - working?"

"When I heard what was happening, I wanted to help and I knew - well, I knew there would be a lot of supernatural refugees. I thought they might be comforted by another supernatural being helping them."

"Where's the nearest bar?" Rebekah demanded.

"Well, now, hold on, sister, I might want to partake in some of this comfort and aid being offered," Kol smirked, his eyes roving over Caroline.

"Kol," Klaus threatened absentmindedly as Caroline greeted his sister.

"Hi, Rebekah - where's Royce?"

"Who?" Rebekah asked and stared at her blankly.

Caroline looked swiftly to Klaus. He gave her a tiny shrug.

"Never mind," Caroline said.

The remaining refugees of the S.S. Lucky Catch disembarked, and Caroline spied a small girl, holding on to her mother's hand, as they stood on the dock uncertainly.

Caroline kneeled down to the girl's level and spoke.

"Hi - I'm Caroline," she said gently. "Everything's going to be okay. I'm here to help you."

Klaus watched as she gathered their information and offered them instructions on where to go for assistance. He was relieved that she was here to take charge of the small band of travelers. He had begrudgingly offered them a ride out of town, but had no intention of holding their hands through the relocation process.

As for himself, he was no stranger to picking up and fleeing with nothing more than the clothes on his back and his siblings in tow.

But this was the first time he felt as if everything would truly be okay.

For a day that had started so miserable - well alright, the past few years had been miserable with the witches fighting to reclaim power over New Orleans - Klaus found that he didn't mind at all now. All his troubles had led him right to where he wanted to be.

A safe harbor in Caroline's presence.


	6. Chapter 6 - Betrayal, Again

_2250, Denver, Colorado_

"Take me to her," Klaus snapped as he strode up to Stefan in the hotel lobby.

"Come on, she's upstairs," Stefan said, turning to lead the way.

Stefan unlocked the door to Caroline's room and called out. "Caroline - he's here."

Klaus roughly pushed past Stefan to hurry to Caroline's bedside and came to a halt as his eyes told him the truth.

Caroline wasn't laying on the bed, riddled with hallucinations, with werewolf venom coursing through her - she wasn't bitten at all.

Instead, she was sitting on the bed, holding the hand of a young man who was feverish.

She turned to him, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Klaus -"

He felt Stefan shift behind him and within seconds, Klaus snapped his neck and let him crumple to the ground. He glared at Caroline.

"Klaus, please, save him," Caroline cried through her tears. "Please - it's my fault he got bit, he saved me. Please!"

In that moment, he hated her. He hated her beauty, her kindness - hated her for giving him little pieces of hope over the centuries. Worse, he hated himself for being unable to refuse her. He bit into his wrist savagely, hoping in vain the pain of his bite would distract him from the pain in his heart. Pouring the valuable cure in a glass, he handed it to her wordlessly.

She immediately grabbed it and turned her attention to the feverish vampire.

Klaus' hand ached to grab her, to pull her away as she focused on her young man and soothed him as he gulped the blood down.

She smiled in relief. "There," she said softly, caressing his face. "Rest now."

She leaned back and slowly turned to face Klaus. She was almost undone by the pain on his face. "I -"

"How dare you?" he seethed. "I thought it was you! I thought you were dying and the only thought that consumed me was _what if I didn't get here in time_?!"

"I'm sorry - Klaus, please -"

"You didn't have to lie," he said flatly. "You could have been honest with me - and I still would have helped you, Caroline. _I still would have helped you_. Why did you lie," he asked, truly bewildered.

She closed her eyes in shame. "We didn't think you'd come if - Klaus, I love him -"

It was all he needed to hear. He thought nothing was worse than seeing her care for another, but there was: hearing her declare her love for another.

Hearing her declare that she still didn't trust him.

Hearing her declare that she still didn't believe in him.

Klaus refused to give her another chance to hurt him further. He snapped her neck and held her close to him as she fell.

"You didn't have to lie," he whispered.

The vampire, still weak, made to move towards Caroline.

"Oh, no, mate. That's finished." He leaned over and let his compulsion wash over the young vampire. "Come with me."

...

Half an hour later, Caroline began to stir.

"Hey," Stefan said and handed her a drink.

"Ow," she winced as she worked her neck around. "What - Charlie! Where's Charlie?" she cried as she scrambled up from the bed.

"Gone - so is Klaus. I just woke up a few minutes ago and decided to wait for you before we go looking."

"Oh, god, Stefan - do you think Klaus -"

He shook his head. "Let's not jump to conclusions. I tried calling both of them, but I'm just getting voicemail. Come on, let's try the bars Charlie likes to hang out at."

They found him in the third bar they entered, and as Caroline spotted Charlie, she felt nothing but relief. She rushed to him.

"Charlie, what happened, are you alright? Why did you take off?"

"Sorry," Charlie said as he turned to face her. He had a smile ready for her, but she immediately knew from his blank stare: she was nothing to him.

"Do I know you?"

"Charlie?" she whispered, her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. She knew it was pointless, but she had to try - to know for certain.

"It's me - Caroline."

"Ah - sorry," he said, smiling awkwardly. "I must have been really drunk whenever we met - I can't remember you. Oh, hey, Stefan, man, what's up?"

"Hey Charlie," Stefan said quietly, his own heart aching for Caroline.

Before Caroline could say another word, a small perky brunette came up to Charlie and laid a passionate kiss on him.

"Hey, babe," Charlie said, greeting her and slipping his arm around her waist. "Meet my friend, Stefan - Stefan, this is Lydia. We, ah - well, you know. We just met and hit it off," he grinned shamelessly.

"Hey, is she okay?" Charlie asked as Caroline fled away with a sob.

"Yeah - she'll be fine," Stefan smiled humorlessly. "I'll see you around."

"Byee!" Lydia sang out, perched on Charlie's lap.

As Stefan walked towards the exit, he scanned the room, and in the corner, calmly holding a drink in his hand, was Klaus. Klaus met Stefan's gaze steadily, his hand lightly curled around his glass, with no remorse on his face.


	7. Chapter 7 - Eve of War

_2312, Chicago, Illinois_

"Where is she?!"

Klaus stormed around their living room as he continued to receive more bad news.

"Nik, _please_ \- I'm sure she's fine," Rebekah soothed.

"Oh, well then, that puts my mind at ease - hear that, everyone? Rebekah is sure Caroline is fine," Klaus sneered. "We are on the precipice of another world war, sister - the likes of which we have never seen before! And she is out there, god knows where, probably in the thick of it, with delusions of - helping!"

Rebekah shared a look with Elijah. Their volatile brother hadn't mentioned Caroline's name in decades, yet when it became clear that the drums of war were beating, he had begun a frantic search for her.

With every lead, came another dead end; their brother was now frenzied with worry.

Klaus paced before his siblings in agitation.

The looming war promised to be more devastating than those in the past, with new technology, new weapons and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of warm bodies. The petty wars and little skirmishes that had sprung up during Caroline's first lifetime were nothing compared to what was coming. Disease, famine, droughts, and an even larger disparity between the haves and have-nots were all coming to a climax between nations.

"I am not being paranoid, Rebekah. Elijah agrees with me; there will be at least one nation - one _imbecile_ \- that launches a nuclear bomb," Klaus said. "She will not survive if -"

He paused to regain control of his emotions.

"Caroline will not survive if she is caught in the blast. She is barely three hundred years old," he whispered. "Her damn humanity will have her in the thick of battle, trying to help."

...

"Niklaus, we have to leave," Elijah said carefully.

Klaus shook his head, unwilling to listen to reason. He refused to face his eldest brother, and instead continued to stare outside the high-rise windows. Below, the looting had already begun and panicked citizens were trying to claw their way out of the city by any means necessary.

"Chicago is falling - we need to evacuate," Kol insisted, the panic evident in his voice.

"There's still time," Klaus said softly, more to himself than in answer to his brothers. "She can make her way here, she knows this address; she knows I'll protect her - she cannot think that I am still angry with her -"

"Niklaus," Elijah begged. "We cannot wait any longer. If she was stateside, and if she needed help, she would have been here by now. But this city is no longer safe; it is falling, and it is directly in the trajectory for a nuclear strike."

"I can't," Klaus simply replied.

"Niklaus! Did you not hear me?" Elijah roared. "A nuclear strike is imminent, and I have no wish to find out if this family can withstand a nuclear bomb! We need to go - _now_. We have waited long enough as it is."

"Nik," Rebekah said softly, approaching him slowly and placing her hand on his. "Please."

Klaus faced his little sister - the one he had always sworn to protect.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But we have to go. We can't wait any longer."

He closed his eyes against her fear-stricken face, already knowing that he would acquiesce; knowing that they were right. His siblings would not leave him and they would all be in danger if they stayed. The time had come for the Mikaelsons to abandon Chicago.

"She's smart, Nik. I bet she's already hunkered down someplace safe - she could even already be in Mystic Falls," Kol said encouragingly.

Klaus nodded, signaling his acceptance, and felt the air shift as his siblings breathed easier.

For the thousandth time, Klaus cursed himself and his impulsiveness. He had failed to restrain himself in Denver, and now all he was left with was the knowledge that he had failed Caroline yet again.


	8. Chapter 8 - You're Home Now

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delayed update - life is getting in the way! Thanks for your patience, and the** ** **follows, favorites, and** reviews - I'd love more - tell me how I'm doing, or what you like, or don't like!  
**

 _2313, the forest surrounding Mystic Falls, Virginia_

Caroline learned long ago that a crisis of any kind was capable of bringing out either the absolute worst or best in human nature.

So far, this crisis was bringing out the worst.

In the year since the first bombs dropped on Europe, she had slowly made her way west towards the Atlantic Coast. Transportation was limited; any reliable mode of transportation was quickly snatched up by the closest army - or the ones with the most guns.

Gathering food - the kind she relied on in order to control her blood lust - was next to impossible.

As for blood bags, they were non-existent. She had been working in a hospital in Prague when the first casualties had started rolling in; when she saw how desperate the doctors were for blood donors and that the blood on hand was running out, she couldn't take from them. She still had her morals, a sense of right and wrong, then.

It didn't make a difference. Within weeks, the hospital was bombed and she had fled into the chaos.

She needed to go home.

In order to survive her trek across most of Europe, she had begun to feed on humans.

She believed in her own humanity, but being a vampire in war time taught her something else to believe in: self-preservation.

She understood now why the Originals held the humans in such contempt.

She understood now Damon's "Vampires first" motto.

With this war, the rose-colored glasses she wore for almost 300 years was stripped from her. She was no better than any of them - she knew now that she would do whatever it took to survive.

Her choice was to either feed on humans, something she had striven to not do for over 300 years, something she was proud of never doing, or starve.

When her preferred prey was unavailable, or it was too risky, she fell back on Stefan's stand-by: the bunny diet. Only her bunny diet included rats.

She would survive this, no matter what.

Her travels through war-torn Europe had opened her eyes to the extreme cruelty of mankind and their hunger for power. If she hadn't been a vampire, she would have found herself in servitude, raped, or dead, ten times over since war first rang out. She also discovered that self-preservation wasn't limited to vampires.

In the beginning of her journey, she had come across a small group of survivors outside of Luxemboug. A young girl, no more than fifteen, was being used as a sexual plaything between the men. The anger Caroline felt coursing through her, in addition to the fact that she was starving, led her to attack.

When the men were all dead, the young girl had not been grateful. Instead, she had turned on Caroline. Now what would she do for food, for protection?

As Caroline continued to make her way to the coast, she closed her eyes to the devastation wrought on the small villages and towns she passed though. She ignored the shelled out skyscrapers in the cities she passed.

She turned a deaf ear to the cries and pleas of the beggars - some of them not even begging for food or water, but of news of their loved ones.

When she had finally reached the Lisbon coast, Caroline cried in relief.

But then came her next obstacle: finding a boat, one that could sail the Atlantic, along with someone to pilot said boat. However, boats were also of value to the nearest Navy - finding one, then slipping past the blockades, would be dangerous.

After months of searching, she found a man that was secretly building a sailing boat, large enough to take his family across the Atlantic. She compelled him in order to secure a seat.

They had been at sea for five days when true horror had come in the sight of a cloud formation in the horizon they left behind - the kind that clearly indicated someone had launched a nuclear bomb.

That night, the ham radio onboard was crowded with voices, in various languages, all saying the same thing: London was gone.

After weeks at sea, they stood solemnly as the coastline of the eastern seaboard of the United States came into sight. The ravages of war had not left the states untouched.

The waters surrounding the coast were littered with mines as the last - or first - line of defense against invaders.

The last indignity Caroline would have to endure was dropping into the freezing cold ocean and swimming her way in, carefully avoiding the minefield.

She would survive this.

...

He held himself still behind a tree, letting the soothing sounds of the forest lull the person stupid enough to be walking alone in the woods at night into a false sense of security. He grinned - whoever it was, they weren't even trying to be stealthy. Branches and leaves crunched heavily. He sped to his latest victim and grabbed her from behind.

Caroline screamed and threw her assailant over her shoulder and onto the ground.

"Seriously?!" she yelled. She was tired, more exhausted than she had ever been in her life, moody from the lack of proper nourishment, and had been alternately walking and vamp speeding her way from the coast to Mystic Falls. And now some prick was trying to attack her?

"Ah, hello, gorgeous. About bloody time you showed up," her would-be assailant said as he picked himself up.

"Enzo?" Caroline whispered, afraid to believe that she was this close to home.

Before he could speak, the air stirred behind her. "Caroline?"

She turned, and the relief she felt nearly overwhelmed her.

She was safe.

"Klaus -" she smiled timidly.

" _Where the bloody hell have you been?!_ "

He immediately regretted his outburst when Caroline's face crumbled and she burst into tears.

"Stop that," he ordered. "Do not for one moment think to sway me from my anger with tears after the misery I have endured, not knowing if you were safe, or lying dead in a ditch -"

Always the contrary vixen, she cried harder.

"Smooth," Enzo said, and walked off.

"Sweetheart - please," Klaus said desperately. "It - fine, I'm not mad -"

"I don't care if you're mad!" she cried through her tears. "You have no idea what I've been through - what I saw - you think I was just out for a walk?! Go to hell, Klaus!" she screamed.

Whatever anger he had still been holding onto melted in that moment and Klaus gathered her in his arms.

"I was so scared," she cried against his chest.

"It's alright, love - you're safe now. I'll keep you safe."

"It was horrible, Klaus, and I was alone; I had no one," Caroline sobbed.

"Shh - I'm here now. You're here now, my brave, strong girl. Shh - you're home now."


	9. Chapter 9 - I Love Him - So I Left Him

_2323, Las Vegas, Nevada_

She left him.

The war finally came to an end in 2318 - or, as Elijah said, "They finally ran out of bullets" - and the nation began to piece itself back together. While the war lasted only three years, a blink in a vampire's life, the devastation wrought would take decades to put to rights.

The Mikaelsons had decided that enough was enough: they were home and they intended to stay. They would rebuild the town of Mystic Falls - not in the exact image of old New Orleans, but build a community where the supernatural and humans could thrive equally, and in peace.

"Think we can get it right this time?" Kol snickered.

"One can only hope," Elijah said.

...

When Caroline first arrived, Klaus had promised her safety as she cried in his arms.

Once her tears finally dried, Klaus led her to their camp. He gently explained that the town of Mystic Falls wasn't safe, and that they had been living in the woods for the past year.

She had expected a few tents and maybe a few RV campers surrounding a small campsite. Instead, she saw a village.

Small cabins lined the clearing. On the far side of the clearing, there were animal pens that housed pigs, a few goats and a cow. Chickens roamed across the campsite. There was a large campfire in the center of the clearing and she could smell meat cooking in a nearby smokehouse.

She sensed other vampires, and saw a few wolves scuffling on the far side of the camp; as well as some witches practicing incantations over a campfire in front of their cabin.

In an instant, she understood why all of these people - enemies under normal circumstances - stayed here.

They were safe.

She was safe.

All of this - this village - was because of Klaus and his siblings. She knew without asking that they had created it; reverting back to their old ways in order to wait out the war.

The war had brought out the best in them.

For three years, they lived in the same makeshift camp; and Klaus had protected her, sheltered her, provided for her. During their last two years together, Caroline shared his bed and they had been happy.

But now, she needed to stand on her own two feet again - she needed to know that she could survive without him.

In the weeks and days before she left, Klaus had argued, cajoled, bribed, and finally threatened in order to make Caroline stay, all to no avail. She left Mystic Falls, the safety of their makeshift family - and the safety of his arms.

It was of little consolation to Klaus that she left with tears in her eyes.

...

Caroline continued to keep in touch with Rebekah, whom she had finally had a chance to get to know during the war years. Rebekah would occasionally join her and they would travel together: two blond goddesses with the new world at their feet.

Rebekah invited her back to Mystic Falls numerous times, but Caroline always refused.

"You know full well that my brother is in love with you," Rebekah said one day while they were lounging poolside at a resort in Las Vegas.

"Elijah's barely said ten words to me in almost four hundred years," Caroline replied, deliberately misunderstanding.

"Haha. You know who I mean."

"Kol?" Caroline wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

Rebekah threw her beach hat at Caroline. "I'm serious, Caroline. He is miserable without you. And so are you."

As an afterthought, she defended Kol. "And what's wrong with Kol?" Rebekah asked with a trace of the legendary Mikaelson arrogance.

When Caroline remained silent, Rebekah continued.

"You're too stubborn to admit it. I don't know what you're afraid of."

"Says the sister he loves and yet continuously daggers when she doesn't agree with him. I'm not an Original, Beks. I can't survive a stake to the heart, or my heart being ripped out."

 _Or broken by him_.

"He has not daggered any of us in centuries -"

"Only because you found all the daggers and destroyed them!"

"Perhaps," Rebekah allowed. "But I choose to believe that even if he had the daggers, he would not have - he's grown the last few centuries - he's changed ever since he met you."

"Oh, Beks - I hope I have your optimism when I'm as old as you are."

"He's doing it all for you," Rebekah said softly. "Building Mystic Falls up - making it home again. It's all for you."

Later that night, alone in her bed, Caroline finally admitted to herself that she was scared. Almost five hundred years and she was falling in love with Klaus.

 _No_ , she thought. A part of her had always been in love with him.

It only took close to five hundred years for her to admit.

The brief moments they had come together over the past five hundred years allowed her to know him. The last two years they were together, he was happier, calmer than she had ever seen him. He had found peace with her, in a simple cabin in the woods.

There were moments when she forgot that he had hurt her, targeted her friends, and betrayed her. She was never able to completely forgot. But with five hundred years, she had grown, as had he. She recognized now that all he had ever wanted was to be safe - for his family to be safe - and to be loved.

Wasn't that what everyone wanted?

Wasn't that what she wanted?

She loved him.

So she would return to him.


	10. Chapter 10 - Finally, Always

_2323 Mystic Falls, Virginia_

For the past few years, the supernatural community lived in relative peace with the humans. The Originals took what had worked in New Orleans and created a Council made up of themselves, vampires, wolves, witches and humans. With everyone's cooperation, and hard work, Mystic Falls had risen from the ashes of war and was a safe haven for supernaturals and humans alike.

And now, the last of the debris was cleared away, the final street was freshly paved, and Main Street was officially open for business. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held hours before and the residents of Mystic Falls were getting ready for another time-honored tradition: a festival, followed by a ball.

The ball is an extravagant affair, the likes of which Mystic Falls has never seen. The long winding driveway leading to the Mikaelson Mansion is lit with twinkling lights and the mansion itself is ablaze with lights and festivity. They've spared no expense for this - the first ball Mystic Falls has seen in almost a hundred years.

Caroline waits patiently to be announced - the Mikaelsons have decided to go old school and have each guest announced as they arrived.

"Miss Caroline Forbes."

She pauses for a moment at the entrance and holds her composure elegantly as those who know her, know of her, know of her importance to the Original Hybrid, gaze upon her. It is times like these that she feels every inch the goddess he claims she is. She is confident, mature, composed.

Her smile is just for him as he comes to her.

His eyes are locked on hers and heaven help anyone who gets in his way. He pauses before her.

"Hello, Caroline."

"Hello, Klaus."

Klaus gives the signal to the band and holds his hand out. When Caroline places her hand in his, his heart soars. He leads her to the dance floor.

"About bloody time," Rebekah muttered to her partner, Stefan Salvator.

Klaus had refused to allow the dancing to begin until he could open the ball with his first dance with Caroline.

As the music begins, he holds her in his arms, feeling more content in this moment than any other moment. His gaze falls over her, taking her all in: her golden hair, every strand in place, her flawless skin and guileless eyes, her rosebud lips, the brightness of her smile.

He is surprised to find that she is gazing at him too - differently than ever before. She's taking him all in as well.

They say nothing as they dance closely together - they merely let their eyes speak.

She is just a girl. Still slightly insecure, but full of love and hope.

 _Please don't break my heart_.

He is the Original Hybrid; he is afraid of nothing - except this.

 _Please don't leave me again_.

"Will you stay?" he whispers against her ear.

She smiles softly into his eyes, knowing it cost him his pride for even asking.

"Always," she whispered, and gently pressed her lips to his.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this series! My personal opinion is that Caroline doesn't fit in NOLA at the moment (and I'm not sure I'd want her to take part in that hot mess), but I firmly believe that given time (a few centuries to open her eyes and for him to mellow), Klaus & Caroline could be together - happy and at peace.**


	11. Author's Note: New Klaroline Story Ideas

I have 100s of ideas and outlines for future stories. I have a few serious contenders that I'm considering writing next - **all Klaroline!** I figured I'd leave it up to you! Drop me a line and let me know what you want:

 **Option 1:** Months after Dahlia's demise, her final ruse is revealed. Klaus and Caroline are unaware that another night together will serve as the catalyst that will forever change the landscape of the supernatural world - and their own relationship. The fragile trust they build will be tested, family bonds and friendships will be strained, and enemies continue to move in the shadows against the Originals - and their dark miracle. 100% Klaus and Caroline. Suspense / Romance / Angst with HEA.

 **Option 2:** Nearly three decades after they last met, can Klaus and Caroline overcome past betrayals and blinding grief to find forgiveness and love with each other? 100% Klaus and Caroline. Falls into the Hurt/Comfort category with HEA.

 **Option 3:** Klaus and Caroline travel to New Orleans to check out a rumor - what they find kicks off a new chapter in their lives. Family comes together and falls apart as they navigate the murky supernatural world of New Orleans. 100% Klaus and Caroline. Suspense / Mystery / Romance with HEA.

 **Option 4:** After 1,000 years and against all odds, a new doppelgänger exists. Now Klaus Mikaelson has returned to Mystic Falls for one reason: to keep the doppelgänger safe until he can break his curse. He never intended to get distracted by a bright, bubbly blonde - or fall in love. 100% Klaus and Caroline. Suspense / Mystery / Romance with HEA.

 **Option 5:** Flung 1,000 years back into the past, Klaus has a chance to not only save all his siblings but also give them the life they always wanted. When Caroline also mysteriously appears, they have to work together to save the Mikaelsons - and each other. 100% Klaus and Caroline. Adventure / Suspense / Romance with HEA.


End file.
